Egyptian authorities step up censorship

New York, July 5, 2013--The Committee to Protect Journalists
is alarmed that Egypt's new military-run government is detaining journalists
and censoring news outlets, including those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood,
despite proclaiming
an intention to be inclusive.

"If the interim government is sincere about pursuing
reconciliation and democracy, it must begin by respecting freedom of the press.
All voices, including those of the Muslim Brotherhood, must be heard," Sherif
Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said. "The
government should not repeat its predecessors' mistakes of trying to silence
dissent. Egyptian television stations should be allowed to operate freely and
media staff should be released immediately."

On Thursday, the Al-Ahram government printing house refused
to print the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom
and Justice daily, according to news
reports. Today, news reports said Egypt's Nilesat satellite operator jammed
three pan-Arab religious satellite television stations, Hamas affiliated Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa and Jordanian Al-Yarmouk, while
they broadcast Cairo
demonstrations by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

On Wednesday, the military raided Al-Jazeera's Egyptian television
station and shut down at least three stations supportive of Morsi, including
one operated by the Brotherhood, according to CPJ research.
The police arrested at
least two prominent Islamist television hosts and many others who worked at
those channels, The New York Timesreported.
Dozens of station staff, including journalists, are detained in
undisclosed locations, without access to lawyers or families, relatives told
local human rights and press freedom organizations today. Al-Jazeera said today
that the manager of Al-Jazeera Mubashir, Ayman Gaballah, was released
after being detained since Wednesday.

Interim President Adly Mansour was sworn into office on
Thursday. He vowed
in his first speech and in television interviews to embark on efforts for
national reconciliation and to engage the Muslim Brotherhood. However, today he
issued a decree to dissolve
the Islamist-majority upper chamber of Parliament, which may deepen the
country's political crisis. As huge numbers of Morsi supporters took to the
streets today, vowing to reinstate the ousted leader, five of his
supporters were killed when the army fired on demonstrators marching to an army
building where they believed Morsi was being held.